Deicing apparatus for railroad cars and the like



Oct. 30, 1962 l. J. BARBER 3,061,703

mzxcmc APPARATUS FOR RAILROAD CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 1 RA J BARBER Oct. 30, 1962 l. J. BARBER 3,061,703

DEICING APPARATUS FOR RAILROAD CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

, IRA J. BARBER ATTORM Y 1962 I. J. BARBER 3,061,703

DEICING APPARATUS FOR RAILROAD CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. IRA J BARBJER 7 W A l 3,tid1,7tl3 DEICING APPARATUd FUR RAILROAD CARS AND THE LHKE Ira .1. Barber, Fostoria, ()hio, assignor to Radcor, Ine., Bradner, Ohio Filed Dec. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 74,582 9 Ciaims. (Cl. 21919) The present invention relates to electric heating apparatus, more particularly radiant heating apparatus for de icing railroad cars and the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus of the character described.

The transpotration of bulk commodities such as coal and the like in open railroad cars during freezing weather presents serious unloading difliculties. These difficulties arise by reason of the fact that rain and/or snow comingles with the commodity being hauled and then freezes to impede subsequent discharge of the commodity from the car.

It has been proposed to direct radiant heat to the lower portion of the frozen car to melt the accumulated ice so that the car may be dumped in the usual manner by either tilting the car bodily or by opening discharge openings in the sides and/ or bottom thereof. While many installations have employed electric resistance heating apparatus for generating the radiant heat aforesaid, such apparatus has not been entirely satisfactory since most of the apparatus was not specifically designed for thawing frozen railroad cars but was adapted from apparatus originally designed for other purposes. The present invention, being specifically designed for thawing frozen railroad cars and the like, possesses advantages over apparatus heretofore employed in that it is highly efiicien-t for its intended purpose, it is unaffected by water, its heating elements are adequately protected against both physical damage and premature burn outs, and the device may easily be cleaned when necessary. Other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following drawings and from the description appended hereto.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there is shown, for purpose of illustration, an embodiment which the invention may assume, and in these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an oblique view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the invention seen in FIGURE 1,

FEGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but taken from another angle to show a side not seen in the figure last mentioned, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view generally corresponding to the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Briefly, and as viewed in FIGURE 1, the present invention comprises a pair of spaced, elongated housings 1d and 11 disposed between the usual railroad tracks 12 and 13. As will later more fully appear, each housing carries heating element means 14, 14 which project from a respective housing in a direction toward the other housing. Underlying the heating means 14 is reflector means 15 which directs radiant heat upwardly, and overlying the heating means 14 for a purpose to appear is a screen 16.

In operation, a railroad car to be thawed will be driven over the assembly seen in FIGURE 1 whereupon the upwardly directed radiant'heat emanating from the energized heating element means 14 will soon melt the accumulated ice in the car bottom and thus permit its contents to be dumped with the same facility as is possible during non-freezing weather. Following the melting atent 'icc aforesaid, the car may be moved to a nearby location for dumping while another car is being thawed. It may at times be desirable to melt snow and ice from otherwise empty cars, such as, prior to loading.

With reference to FIGURES 2 and 4, housing 10 comprises an elongated, sheet-metal box open at the bottom and having outwardly turned, lower side margins 17. A plate 18 spans the outwardly turned margins 17 with a gasket 19 (FIGURE 4) being interposed between the latter and the plate for sealing purposes. Suitable screws 2% or the like may be employed to draw the plate 18 tightly against the margins 17 to insure the exclusion of water and the like from the housing interior.

Carried by and projecting through one of theside walls of the housing 10 are a plurality of well-known, tubular metallic sheathed electric resistance heating elements 21 of hair pin configuration which constitute the heating ele ment means 14. Each element has a pair of spacedapart, generally parallel legs 22 connected at one end by an integral bight portion 23. The opposite ends of the legs of each element extend through the housing wall to position their terminal ends within the housing. Projecting from each element leg terminal end is the usual terminal pin 24 to which electrical connections are made for the purpose of supplying each element with electrical energy.

Each element leg 22 is secured to the housing wall to provide a water-tight juncture therebetween and while any convenient expedient can be employed for this purpose, such as, for example, welding or the like, it is preferable to removably attach each element to the housing in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4. As therein seen, each element leg has a flanged sleeve 25 welded, soldered or otherwise afiixed thereto. The exterior of the sleeve is threaded to receive a nut 26 for drawing the sleeve flange tightly against the housing wall. Although not shown, a suitable gasket may be disposed between the sleeve flange and the housing wall to insure a watertight seal therebetween.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2 and for a purpose to ap pear, the elements 21 are arranged in side-by-side, horizontally extending relation with the spacing A between the legs 22 of respective elements substantially identical to the spacing B between the legs of adjoining elements. A space no smaller than A and B or possibly even slightly greater will be provided between the bight ends of the elements carried by housing 10 and those of housing 11. Since housing 11 and its associated parts is identical to housing 10 and its parts, it is believed that the above description of the latter will sufiice for an understanding of the former.

In applications of the present type, it is not unusual for pieces of the load being carried to drop from the car upon the underlying heating elements. This can result because the doors of hopper cars seldom seal tightly. If such pieces are small enough to pass between the element legs, no problem is presented, even if such pieces strike the highly shock resistant elements, since such pieces will merely collect beneath the latter. In the event the pieces are combustible, they will burn harmlessly, thus assisting the car thawing operation. In the event, however, that pieces too large to pass between the element legs should drop thereon, a serious problem is presented since with a piece resting upon an element, air flow over the element at the point of contact with the piece is cut off and thus this portion of the element tends to become overheated. Such overheating leads to element failure as will be understood.

To prevent the lodging of pieces upon the heating ele spemoa terial and will rest upon the upper surfaces of housings 10 and 11 whereby a vertical space is provided between the mesh and the underlying element. Although not shown, any suitable means may be employed to removably retain the mesh properly positioned upon the housing. By way of example, the margins of the mesh could be turned downwardly to embrace respective housings or the mesh could be held in place by clips or by screws.

*In any event, it is to be understood that the mesh openings have dimensions C and D which are no larger than the previously mentioned element leg spaces A and B and possibly slightly smaller. Accordingly, any piece large enough to pass through the mesh will be small enough to pass between the element legs. The larger pieces will lodge upon the mesh where they will harmlessly burn away, assuming, of course, that such pieces are combustible. It may be beneficial in this connection to use a heating element other than round, such as heartshaped or triangular, with the narrow or sharp side up, eliminating any appreciable surface for materials to accumulate.

For maximum heating efliciency, the previously mentioned reflector means underlies the heating elements to upwardly direct the heat radiated from the elements. As herein disclosed, such reflector means comprises a pair of polished, reflective sheet metal members 27 providing plane surfaces inclined downwardly from respective housings. With the members 27 thus inclined, water and debris gravitating from the thawing car overhead will rapidly run off the members.

Still referring to FIGURES 2 and 4-, the following construction is employed to support reflector members 2-7, it being understood that a description of only housing ll) with its reflector member will suffice since housing 11 and its reflector are similar: Secured by welding or the like to the wall of housing 16) beneath the heating elements 21 is one leg of a V-shaped bracket 2% which extends from end to end of the housing. The other bracket leg extends upwardly and outwardly of the wall so that the bracket provides a longitudinally extending pocket for a purpose to appear. The sides of reflector member 2'7 are bent over at right angles to form at each side a strengthening flange 29 and the upper end of the member is bent over to provide a flange 30 which rests in the pocket provided by the bracket 28. At least the intermediate portion of the lower end of the member 27 is bent over to provide a flange 31 which rests upon and is supported by one or more of the ties 32 which underlie the tracks 12. An important feature of the present invention is that the flanges 30 of respective reflector members 27 are so arranged that they are spaced from each other to provide a gap 33 therebetween (see FIGURE 1'), through which may pass the water and debris aforesaid.

While a completely workable structure would be provided by bolting the housings 10, 11 directly to the ties 3'2 by means of bolts or screws which would pass through the outwardly turned housing margins 17, such an arrangement would make cleaning of the reflector membersv and the space between the tracks somewhat dithcult and time-consuming. For this reason, it is preferable to hingedly secure the housings in position between the rails. As viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4, a rod 34 extends longitudinally of the housing 10 in spaced relation above the outermost housing margin 17. This rod has downwardly and outwardly turned end portions whose terminal ends are flattened to provide apertured feet 35 through which may pass respective screws 20 for the purpose of securing the rod to the housing. A similar construction may be provided for housing 11.

A strap member 36 has a tubular portion 37 slidably embracing the rod 34 and an offset foot portion 38 which is apertured at 39 to pass a lag screw or the like by means of which the strap member may be rigidly secured to a tie 32. it will be appreciated that two and possibly more strap members as will be disposed on the rod 34. It will be understood that since the strap members are slidable along the rod, they can be variously positioned therealong for registry with a respective tie. Assuming the strap members to be lagged to the ties, the housing 10 may be pivoted about the axis of rod 34 from the full line position seen in FIGURE 4 to the phantom line position. This movement of the housing will swing the attached heating elements 14 away from the attached reflector member 27, such movement also elevating the adjoining portion of the reflector member and drawing the latter away from the housing 11 whereby the reflector member may readily be removed for cleaning. Since housing 11 is shiftable in the same manner as housing it), its reflector member may also be readily removed thus exposing for cleaning the area between the two housings.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that 'I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparcut to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for deicing railroad cars and the like comprising a pair of housings secured to a support in spacedapart relation, a pair of electric resistance heating elements each carried by a respective one of said housings for projection toward the other, and means providing axes about which said housings are respectively shit'table to move the elements carried thereby in arcuate paths away from the support.

2. Apparatus for deicing railroad cars and the like comprising a pair of housings in spaced-apart relation, a pair of electric resistance heating elements each carriedby a respective one of said housings for projection toward the other, reflector means underlying said elements for upwardly directing radiant energy emanating from the latter, and means providing axes about which said housings are respectively shiftable to move the elements carried thereby in arcuate paths away from said reflector means to provide for cleaning of the latter.

3. Apparatus for deicing railroad cars and the like comprising an elongated housing disposed between and extending longitudinally of the spaced tracks upon which the cars travel, electric resistance heater means carried by said housing and projecting both transversely and generally horizontally thereof, and reflector means underlying said heater means for reflecting radiant energy emanating from the latter to the overlying car, said reflector means having one margin supported by said housing and being inclined to insure that water formed by melting ice and any of the cars contents which gravitate to said reflector means will not lodge thereon toimpair reflective efficiency thereof.

4. The construction of claim 3 wherein said housing has a bracket disposed beneath said heater means and wherein said reflector means one margin is formed for removable interengagement with such bracket.

5. Apparatus for deicing railroad cars and the like comprising a pair of elongated housings in spaced, side-byside relation between the tracks upon which the cars,

travel, said housings extending longitudinally of such tracks and each being disposed adjacent a respective one of the latter, electric resistance heating means carried by respective housings and projecting transversely of each toward the other, and a pair of reflector members underlying said heater means for reflecting radiant energy emanating from the latter to the overlying car, each of said reflector members having one margin thereof supported by a respective housing in elevated relation to opposed margins thereof for inclination of said reflector members to insure that water formed by melting ice and any of the cars contents which gravitate to said reflector members will not lodge thereon to impair reflective efliciency thereof.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein said heating means comprises separate electric resistance heating elements carried by respective housings and wherein each housing is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis extending generally parallel to the tracks to displace said elements from their normal generally horizontal positions overlying said reflectors to provide access to the latter and to the space between the tracks intermediate said housings.

7. The construction of claim 5 wherein said other reflector members margins are disposed in spaced relation to provide for passage therebetween of Water and other material which gravitates onto said members.

8. Apparatus for deicing railroad cars and the like comprising a pair of elongated housings in spaced, side-byside relation between the tracks upon which the cars travel, said housings extending longitudinally of such tracks and each being disposed adjacent a respective one of the latter, a plurality of electric resistance heating elements carried by longitudinally spaced portions of respective housings, the elements of one housing normally extending transversely thereof toward the other housing and the elements of the latter normally extending transversely thereof toward said one housing, and means providing respective pivots whose aXes extend generally parallel to the tracks and about which respective housings are shiftable to displace their elements from their normal positions and thus provide access to the space between the tracks intermediate said housings.

9. Apparatus for deicing railroad cars and the like comprising heater means formed of a plurality of metallic sheathed, electric resistance heating element legs extending in spaced-apart, side-by-side generally horizontal relation beneath the car, a perforated member overlying said element legs to prevent the car contents or other falling bodies from lodging thereon and arresting air circulation thereover to ultimate heater damage, the perforations in said perforated member being small enough to prevent passage therethrough of bodies large enough to lodge upon said element legs and said perforations being large enough to permit passage therethrough of bodies small enough to readily pass between said element legs, and reflector underlying said element legs for reflecting radiant energy emanating from the latter to the overlying car, said reflector being inclined so that water formed by melting ice and any of the cars contents which fall thereon will gravitate to the lowermost reflector portion and such portion providing a passage through which the water and contents aforesaid may gravitate from said reflector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,795,683 Teiger June 11, 1957 2,862,441 Schmall Dec. 2, 1958 2,877,332 Senior Mar. 10, 1959 2,917,616 Thomson Dec. 15, 1959 2,930,881 Ammerman Mar. 29, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 697,263 France Oct. 27, 1930 751,813 Germany Apr. 12, 1954 

